In recent years, capturing apparatuses have multiple functions, and there are capturing apparatuses having the function of: extracting, from a captured image obtained by capturing a person's face, feature points of the person's face; and recognizing a face. For example, an electronic camera detects from a captured image a face area corresponding to a person's face serving as a subject, and performs a process requested by a user on the face area.
Incidentally, there is a need not only for a general image processing function of the electronic camera, such as correcting the skin tone of a face, but also for an image processing function of obtaining an interesting captured image that makes photographing enjoyable.
Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments to provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an image generation program capable of obtaining an interesting captured image, a capturing apparatus, a capturing system, and an image generation method that are capable of obtaining an interesting captured image.
One illustrative exemplary computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an image generation program is a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an image generation program to be executed by a computer of a capturing apparatus, the image generation program causing the computer to function as captured image acquisition means, face image acquisition means, and face combination image generation means. The captured image acquisition means acquires a captured image in real time with at least one capturing section. The face image acquisition means detects a first face area from a plurality of face areas included in the captured image acquired by the captured image acquisition means, and acquiring an image in at least a part of the first face area as a first face image. The face combination image generation means for generating a face combination image by replacing at least a part of a second face area with the first face image, the second face area being included in the plurality of face areas and different from the first face area.
With this configuration, for example, the faces of two people are captured in real time as subjects by capturing sections, and the first face image representing at least a part of the first face area corresponding to the entire face of a first person is acquired by the face image acquisition means. Then, a face combination image obtained by replacing at least a part of the second face area corresponding to the entire face of a second person with the first face image is generated by the face combination image generation means. As a result, for example, it is possible to obtain a face combination image obtained by replacing a person's entire face with another person's face, or a face combination image obtained by replacing a part (e.g., the eyes) of a person's face with a part (the eyes, likewise) of another person's face. That is, it is possible to obtain not a captured image obtained by reproducing the faces of a plurality of people as subjects as they are, but an interesting captured image obtained by combining the faces of a plurality of people together.
It should be noted that one capturing section may be provided, or a plurality of capturing sections may be provided. In the case where one capturing section is provided, one captured image representing the faces of a plurality of people is acquired. In this case, a face combination image is generated that is obtained by combining an image in the first face area included in the one captured image, with an image in the second face area included in the same one captured image. On the other hand, in the case where, for example, two capturing sections are provided, two captured images representing the faces of a plurality of people are acquired. In this case, a face combination image is generated that is obtained by replacing the second face area included in one of the captured images, with the first face image included in the other captured image.
In addition, in the case where, for example, the faces of three people are photographed, a first face image representing at least a part of a first face area corresponding to the entire face of a first person may be acquired, and a face combination image may be generated that is obtained by replacing parts of two second face areas corresponding to the entire faces of a second person and a third person, with the first face image. In this case, the photographing of the faces of three people as subjects makes it possible to obtain a very interesting captured image in which the three people have the same face.
The computer may be further caused to function as first display control means for causing the captured image acquired in real time by the captured image acquisition means to be displayed on display means, and causing the face combination image to be displayed on the display means in place of the captured image on a condition that the face combination image has been generated by the face combination image generation means.
With this configuration, the display of a captured image obtained by faithfully reproducing the faces of a plurality of people as subjects is switched to an interesting face combination image. This enables a user of the capturing apparatus to easily confirm the face combination image by viewing the display means. For example, if the display contents of the display means are switched from the captured image to the face combination image at the time when an instruction has been given on photographing, it is possible to easily confirm the face combination image immediately after the photographing has been performed. This improves the enjoyment of photographing.
Using the captured image acquired by the at least one capturing section in accordance with a predetermined operation, a process may be performed in which the face image acquisition means acquires the first face image, and a process may be performed in which the face combination image generation means generates the face combination image.
With this configuration, when a predetermined operation has been performed to give an instruction on photographing, a series of processes, including the acquisition of the first face image and the generation of the face combination image, are performed. That is, it is possible to obtain a face combination image while performing photographing. Thus, if, for example, a face combination image is caused to be displayed on the display means immediately after the photographing has been performed, this enables a user of the capturing apparatus to further enjoy photographing.
The computer may be further caused to function as determination means and photographing prohibition means. The determination means determines, on the basis of the captured image acquired in real time by the at least one capturing section, whether or not a plurality of faces are included as subjects in a capturing range of the at least one capturing section. The photographing prohibition means, while the determination means determines that a plurality of faces are not included in the capturing range, prohibits photographing from being performed in accordance with the predetermined operation.
To generate a face combination image, it is necessary to acquire a captured image from which at least the first face area and the second face area can be detected, that is, a captured image including a plurality of face images that can be recognized as faces. With the above configuration, a plurality of people need to cooperate to perform photographing in order to obtain the face combination image. This makes it possible to enjoy photographing.
The computer may be further caused to function as notification means for, while the determination means determines that a plurality of faces are included in the capturing range, notifying that photographing can be performed in accordance with the predetermined operation.
With this configuration, the user can easily understand at what time the predetermined operation is to be performed to make a success of photographing for obtaining a face combination image, and this enables the user to smoothly perform photographing.
The computer may be further caused to function as second display control means for causing a first captured image captured by a first capturing section to be displayed in a first display area of display means, and causing a second captured image captured by a second capturing section to be displayed in a second display area of the display means, the second display area being different from the first display area.
With this configuration, captured images captured by two capturing sections are displayed separately in different display areas. This makes it possible to easily confirm whether or not faces are included in the capturing ranges of the capturing sections, and this makes it possible to smoothly perform photographing for obtaining a face combination image.
On a condition that the face combination image has been generated by the face combination image generation means, the second display control means may cause the face combination image to be displayed on the display means in place of the first captured image and the second captured image.
With this configuration, the generation of the face combination image automatically switches the display contents of the display means from the first captured image and the second captured image to the face combination image. This enables the user of the capturing apparatus to enjoy viewing the switching of the display contents. It should be noted that the face combination image may be displayed in one display area including the first display area and the second display area of the display means, or may be displayed in a display area different from the first display area and the second display area.
It is preferable that a capturing direction of either one of the first capturing section and the second capturing section should coincide with a normal direction of the display means, and a capturing direction of the other of the first capturing section and the second capturing section should coincide with a direction opposite to the normal direction.
With this configuration, a user of the capturing apparatus performs photographing in the state where the user faces another person, while confirming whether or not faces are displayed in both the first display area and the second display area. This makes it possible to further enjoy photographing.
The exemplary embodiments can also be regarded as a capturing apparatus including captured image acquisition means, face image acquisition means, and face combination image generation means. The captured image acquisition means acquires a captured image in real time with at least one capturing section. The face image acquisition means detects a first face area from a plurality of face areas included in the captured image acquired by the captured image acquisition means, and acquiring an image in at least a part of the first face area as a first face image. The face combination image generation means generates a face combination image by replacing at least a part of a second face area with the first face image, the second face area being included in the plurality of face areas and different from the first face area.
In addition, the exemplary embodiments can also be regarded as a capturing system including captured image acquisition means, face image acquisition means, and face combination image generation means. The captured image acquisition means acquires a captured image in real time with at least one capturing section. The face image acquisition means detects a first face area from a plurality of face areas included in the captured image acquired by the captured image acquisition means, and acquiring an image in at least a part of the first face area as a first face image. The face combination image generation means generates a face combination image by replacing at least a part of a second face area with the first face image, the second face area being included in the plurality of face areas and different from the first face area.
In addition, the exemplary embodiments can also be regarded as an image generation method to be performed by a capturing apparatus. In the image generation method, first, a captured image is acquired in real time by at least one capturing section. Next, a first face area is detected from a plurality of face areas included in the acquired captured image, and an image in at least a part of the first face area is acquired as a first face image. Then, a face combination image is generated by replacing at least a part of a second face area with the first face image, the second face area being included in the plurality of face areas and different from the first face area.
Based on the exemplary embodiments, it is possible to obtain not a captured image obtained by reproducing the faces of a plurality of people as subjects as they are, but an interesting captured image obtained by combining the faces of a plurality of people together.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.